Greetings comic book fans and welcome to another episode of the Crank File, the only place on the web that cranks red, white and blue. Hope everyone had a fun 4th of July weekend, with all digits and appendages still in tact. It has been crazy busy summer here at the Crank File. Whenever I hear the term “lazy summer days”, it makes me want to scream. That phrase made so much more sense back before I graduated. Thank god for Wednesdays.

Here’s what I’m reading this week:

The Top of the Pile: Moon Knight #4

Publisher: MarvelWords: Jeff LemireArt: Greg Smallwood

What it is: Marc Spector and his fellow asylum patients – Frenchie, Gena and Marlene – finally reach street level. But Marc doesn’t see streets. He sees New York City sinking in the sands of NEO-EGYPT! How much of himself – and how many more friends – will Marc lose before he reaches his true enemy?

Why we love it: Marc Spector lives in a mental institute and Marc is having a bad day. He’s having another psychotic episode. During these episodes, he becomes the vigilante called The Moon Knight and goes around fighting crime. Only The Moon Knight isn’t real. And the bad guys that he beats up are, in reality, just the orderlies. That’s what the doctors have been telling him for years. But as Marc’s psyche descends deeper between altered states, we begin to question whether these episodes are just delusions or something super-natural. Superb writing, great art, you want to check out this book.

The Mainstream one: Amazing Spider-man #15

Publisher: MarvelWords: Dan SlottArt: Giuseppe Camuncoli

What it is: ‘Power Play’ comes to its rousing conclusion! Regent’s master plan is working until Mary Jane Watson gets into the fray!

Why we like it: It’s Iron Jane. That’s Mary Jane Watson in the Iron Spider suit. For those who forgot, that’s the suit Tony Stark built for Peter Parker during the first Civil War event. MJ clearly wears it better. Bonus points for the stunning Alex Ross regular cover.

The Indie One: Paper Girls #7

Publisher: ImageWords: Brian K. VaughanArt: Cliff Chang

What it is: Trapped in a dark future, Erin and her fellow deliverers from 1988 uncover shocking truths about their own fates.

Why we like it: Because BKV. He knows how to write good comics.

The #1 One: Civil War II: Kingpin #1 (Ribic variant)

Publisher: MarvelWords: Mathew RosenbergArt: Ricardo Lopez Ortiz

What it is: An Inhuman with the ability to predict the future has helped the heroes of the Marvel Universe clamp down on crime before it can even happen. While this thwarts most criminals, one man has found a way to keep doing what he does best. Wilson Fisk has managed to stay one step ahead of the good guys and his crime enterprise is BOOMING. But what’s his secret?!

Why we like it: There are two reasons why I like this pick. One, that Ribic cover is an instant classic. Two, Matt Rosenberg makes his writing debut at Marvel. He wrote my favorite mini-series from last year, We Can Never Go Home, and is currently writing another book which I am loving, 4 Kids Walk into a Bank. I tend to follow good writers and Matt is one I’m watching with keen interest.

The One I’m Buying for the Cover: Justice League: Rebirth #1 (Madureira variant)

What it is: A new day dawns for Earth’s greatest heroes as they welcome three new members to the team, including Superman? Who is this strange visitor from a dead world-and can he be trusted? Batman and Wonder Woman aren’t so sure.

Why we like it: Joe Mad does it again, teasing us with another gorgeous cover for DC. What I wouldn’t give for a few more issues of Battle Chasers. Come back to comics Joe, we miss you.